Delayed order delivery fulfillment

Abstract

Techniques and system configurations for order tracking and delivery fulfillment in an electronic commerce setting is described herein. In one example, a shipment that originates from a distribution center of a retailer is identified for delay (e.g., a delayed shipment in transit via a national carrier). The delayed shipment is replaced with a substitute shipment from inventory at an in-store location of the retailer. The substitute shipment is selected from an in-store location of the retailer based on proximity to the shipping destination, and is delivered via courier or agent to meet or precede a promised delivery date. The delayed shipment is then intercepted or redirected to the shipping source, the in-store location, or a distribution center. Related techniques for the management, processing, and tracking of data and information associated with substitute shipments are further described herein.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for processing data in a delayed order delivery fulfillment scenario, the method performed by a computer system comprising at least one hardware processor, and the method comprising:
 electronically identifying a delayed order, the delayed order relating to a shipment of a particular product that is undelivered to a destination, wherein the delayed order is delayed relative to an original delivery estimation for delivery of the shipment of the particular product to the destination;   electronically identifying inventory at a particular in-store location, the inventory to fulfill delivery of the particular product in a replacement shipment to the destination, wherein the inventory in the particular in-store location is located from a plurality of in-store locations based on proximity of the particular in-store location to the destination;   creating data that identifies at least one shipment option for a substitute delivery of the particular product in the replacement shipment, the substitute delivery of the particular product occurring from the identified inventory at the particular in-store location to the destination, wherein the replacement shipment is identified to meet the original delivery estimation for delivery of the shipment of the particular product to the destination; and   creating data that facilitates performance of the substitute delivery of the particular product in the replacement shipment, the substitute delivery of the replacement shipment to the destination being performed via a selected shipment option of the identified at least one shipment option.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 creating data that facilitates an interception of the shipment that is undelivered, wherein the shipment that is undelivered is in transit, and wherein the destination of the shipment that is undelivered is changed from a first address to a second address.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first address is a designated shipping address of a consumer, and wherein the second address is an address of one of: a distribution center, an origin location of the shipment, the in-store location of the replacement shipment, or an alternate in-store location. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein electronically identifying inventory at the particular in-store location to fulfill delivery of the particular product includes:
 locating the particular product at an in-store location, the in-store location being one of a plurality of store locations that has inventory for the particular product and that is located closest to the destination.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein electronically identifying the delayed order includes:
 identifying a promised delivery date for the shipment of the particular product to the destination, wherein the promised delivery date is communicated to an originating consumer of the delayed order; and   identifying that the shipment of the particular product is unable to be delivered to the destination by the promised delivery date via one or more available shipping options from a carrier of the shipment.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the promised delivery date for the shipment of the particular product to the destination is prior to a designated holiday, and wherein the replacement shipment is identified to meet the original delivery estimation by an estimated arrival prior to the designated holiday. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein creating data that identifies the at least one shipment option for the substitute delivery of the particular product in the replacement shipment includes providing data to a plurality of couriers. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein creating data that identifies the at least one shipment option for the substitute delivery of the particular product in the replacement shipment includes:
 receiving an indication from a particular courier of the plurality of couriers to accept delivery of the replacement shipment to the destination; and   designating the particular courier for delivery of the replacement shipment to the destination, in response to receiving the indication from the particular courier to accept delivery of the replacement shipment to the destination.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 electronically tracking the delivery of the replacement shipment to the destination via the selected shipment option;   electronically notifying an order management system of a successful delivery of the replacement shipment to the destination; and   electronically processing data from the shipment of the particular product that is undelivered to a destination to determine an alternate destination for the shipment.   
     
     
         10 . At least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium including instructions for processing data, the storage medium comprising instructions, that when executed by a computing device, cause at least one hardware processor of the computing device to:
 identify a delayed order, the delayed order being associated with an shipment of a particular product that is undelivered to a destination, wherein the delayed order is delayed relative to an original delivery estimation for delivery of the shipment of the particular product to the destination;   identify inventory at a particular in-store location, the inventory to fulfill delivery of the particular product in a replacement shipment to the destination, wherein the inventory in the particular in-store location is located from a plurality of in-store locations based on proximity of the particular in-store location to the destination;   identify at least one shipment option for a substitute delivery of the particular product in the replacement shipment, the substitute delivery of the particular product to occur from the identified inventory at the particular in-store location to the destination, wherein the replacement shipment is identified to meet the original delivery estimation for delivery of the shipment of the particular product to the destination; and   initiate the substitute delivery of the particular product in the replacement shipment, the substitute delivery of the replacement shipment to the destination being performed via a selected shipment option of the identified at least one shipment option.   
     
     
         11 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , the instructions further causing the computing device to:
 facilitate an interception of the shipment that is undelivered, wherein the shipment that is undelivered is in transit, and wherein the destination of the shipment that is undelivered is changed from a first address to a second address.   
     
     
         12 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the first address is a designated shipping address of a consumer, and wherein the second address is an address of one of: a distribution center, an origin location of the shipment, the in-store location of the replacement shipment, or an alternate in-store location. 
     
     
         13 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , the instructions further causing the computing device to:
 identify inventory at the particular in-store location to fulfill the particular product by an identification of the particular product at an in-store location, the in-store location being one of a plurality of store locations that has inventory for the particular product and that is located closest to the destination.   
     
     
         14 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , the instructions further causing the computing device to:
 identify a promised delivery date for the shipment of the particular product to the destination, wherein the promised delivery date is communicated to an originating consumer of the delayed order; and   identify that the shipment of the particular product is unable to be delivered to the destination by the promised delivery date via one or more available shipping options from a carrier of the shipment;   wherein the promised delivery date for the shipment of the particular product to the destination is prior to a designated holiday, and wherein the replacement shipment is identified to meet the original delivery estimation by an estimated arrival prior to the designated holiday.   
     
     
         15 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , the instructions further causing the computing device to:
 provide data to a plurality of couriers;   receive an indication from a particular courier of the plurality of couriers to accept delivery of the replacement shipment to the destination; and   designate the particular courier for delivery of the replacement shipment to the destination, in response to receipt of the indication from the particular courier to accept delivery of the replacement shipment to the destination.   
     
     
         16 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , the instructions further causing the computing device to:
 track the delivery of the replacement shipment to the destination via the selected shipment option;   notify an order management system of a successful delivery of the replacement shipment to the destination; and   process the shipment of the particular product to determine an alternate destination for the shipment.   
     
     
         17 . A computing system, comprising at least one hardware processor, and a plurality of modules implemented with operation of the hardware processor, the plurality of modules including:
 an order tracking module, the order tracking module configured to identify a delayed order, the delayed order relating to a shipment of a particular product that is undelivered to a destination, wherein the delayed order is delayed relative to an original delivery estimation for delivery of the shipment of the particular product to the destination;   an inventory tracking module, the inventory tracking module configured to identify inventory at a particular in-store location, the inventory to fulfill delivery of the particular product in a replacement shipment to the destination, wherein the inventory in the particular in-store location is located from a plurality of in-store locations based on proximity of the particular in-store location to the destination;   a shipment replacement module, the shipment replacement module configured to identify at least one shipment option for a substitute delivery of the particular product in the replacement shipment, the substitute delivery of the particular product occurring from the identified inventory at the particular in-store location to the destination, wherein the replacement shipment is identified to meet the original delivery estimation for delivery of the shipment of the particular product to the destination; and   a delivery information module, the delivery information module configured to facilitate performance of the substitute delivery of the particular product in the replacement shipment, the substitute delivery of the replacement shipment to the destination being performed via a selected shipment option of the identified at least one shipment option.   
     
     
         18 . The computing system of  claim 17 , the plurality of modules including a shipment interception module, the shipment interception module configured to facilitate an interception of the shipment that is undelivered, wherein a destination of the shipment is changed from a first address to a second address;
 wherein the first address is a designated shipping address of a consumer, and wherein the second address is an address of one of: a distribution center, an origin location of the shipment, the in-store location of the replacement shipment, or an alternate in-store location.   
     
     
         19 . The computing system of  claim 17 , the plurality of modules including an order replacement module, the order replacement module configured to:
 track the delivery of the replacement shipment to the destination; and   replace the shipment with the replacement shipment within an order management system, in response to initiation of the delivery of the replacement shipment to the destination.   
     
     
         20 . The computing system of  claim 17 , the plurality of modules including a courier sourcing module, the courier sourcing module configured to:
 provide data that identifies the at least one shipment option for the substitute delivery of the particular product to a plurality of couriers;   receive an indication from a particular courier of the plurality of couriers to accept delivery of the replacement shipment to the destination; and   designate the particular courier for delivery of the replacement shipment to the destination, in response to receiving the indication from the particular courier to accept delivery of the replacement shipment to the destination.